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So,

I have extra points in the list I am currently working with, enough to give some Warlocks singing spears, but honestly, I have never really used them in game, despite having them equipped.

Going off the top of my head from the codex, in CC a spear is the same as a witchblade, but the spear can be thrown 12" with something like STR 3 and AP X. I forget.

Is there really a reason to take a few singing spears, or should I try to squeeze 12-15 points in somewhere else somehow.

Let the debate begin.

Singing Spear:
Pros:
Can be thrown 12" with S:3 AP:6(i think) against vehicles they count as S:9
Wounds in CC on a 2+ regardless of T
Cons:
Two handed Weapon (can't get extra A)

Witchblade:
Pros:
One handed weapon (+1 A) in CC
Wounds on a 2+ regardless of T
Against vehicles they count as S:9
Cons:
Can't be thrown(not really a con but eh)

I prefer Witchblades since they don't really have a draw back, but if your taking a seer council then chuck in a couple of spears for good measure

Yea that's what I was thinking. Might as well toss a couple in with the extra points.

In short no not really. As a shooting weapon against infantry the Singing Spear is pretty meh, wounds on 2+ is nice but you already have a pistol anyway and it decreases you ability to deal with infantry in assault since you lose an attack. For the likes of Jetbike Councils this is reason enough not to take them, they need all the damage output against infantry they can get, otherwise they just become a tarpit.

Basically the only reason to take them is for the ranged anti tank shot. The problem is that in most situations the Witchblade is actually far more effective against vehicles because you always hit rear armour. Even hitting on 6's this means you have a much better chance of doing meaningful damage, if you hit on 4's (more common) then you tend to mess vehicles up pretty nicely. The only situations where the Singing Spear is better is when you aren't in range to assault (but since the most common place to see Warlocks is Jetbike Councils that's not usually an issue) or against Land Raiders etc with a rear AV higher than 10, but that's not much of an argument since the chance of killing a LR with a single S9 shot is stupidly low (its why you bring Fire Dragons). The only time they would definitely be useful is in Storm Guardian units with Fusion Guns, not a unit I would recommend since BS3 Meltaguns aren't much fun, but in that case the extra anti tank shot is a good idea. Otherwise toss 1-2 in if can't find somewhere to put 3-6 points I guess.

The thing you can do with Singing Spears is that you can wreck a transport and then assault what ever comes out. You cant do that with the witch blades. For that reason its a good idea to stick it on the farseer and 2-3 Locks in a full council.

Its been a while since I played EJBs but when I did the Embolden lock in my 6 man EJB squad always had a singing -spear

Singing spears should really only be used in a Jetlock Seer council (2-3 depending on the size of the council) or with GJB attached warlocks.

Witchblade for everything else.

If they had a range of say 24" maybe they would be worth it, but 12" range is "You are going to get assaulted next turn" range so it won't see use in the majority of situations.

tedurur wrote:The thing you can do with Singing Spears is that you can wreck a transport and then assault what ever comes out. You cant do that with the witch blades. For that reason its a good idea to stick it on the farseer and 2-3 Locks in a full council.

Its been a while since I played EJBs but when I did the Embolden lock in my 6 man EJB squad always had a singing -spear

Sry, but you have to assult the same squad you shoot att. The vehicle and whatevers in it are to different squads. This is SUCH pain in the ass.

The rulebook specifically states that if you force a unit out of a vehicle via wreck/destroy you may assault it.

Agreed with above. Toss a Singing Spear into your Warlock council, 1 SS for every 3 Warlocks is what I prefer. Other Warlocks that can be given SS:
GJB
Wraithguard
Guardian Defender

Farseers can always be given a SS.

And, to clarify, a thrown SS always wounds on a 2+, it does not have a specific strength value. (But always S9 vs vehicles).

MrTau wrote:

tedurur wrote:The thing you can do with Singing Spears is that you can wreck a transport and then assault what ever comes out. You cant do that with the witch blades. For that reason its a good idea to stick it on the farseer and 2-3 Locks in a full council.

Its been a while since I played EJBs but when I did the Embolden lock in my 6 man EJB squad always had a singing -spear

Sry, but you have to assult the same squad you shoot att. The vehicle and whatevers in it are to different squads. This is SUCH pain in the ass.

While this is true, transports are the exception. A unit that destroys a transport in shooting may assault the previously embarked unit.

Wraithguard and Guardian defenders should always be give a Witchblade since if there is something within 12" you'll want that +1 attack for the inevitable incoming assault lol.

BlueDagger wrote:Wraithguard and Guardian defenders should always be give a Witchblade since if there is something within 12" you'll want that +1 attack for the inevitable incoming assault lol.

I disagree.

With Guardians, who cares about the extra attack? If you get assaulted, you're already dead. I find it better to put out the most/best shots you can and hope to force them to run away or to kill them all. A SS is typically a better shot than a pistol. It's not 3 points better, but if you have points to spend and no other options, you can upgrade here without a 2nd thought.

With Wraithguard, they won't die as quickly from CC, but they're still not great in it. I think a Witchblade on their Warlock can definately be useful, but I think a SS is also a valid choice.